


Getting the band back together

by aworldinside



Category: Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 13:19:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1094320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aworldinside/pseuds/aworldinside
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The now ex-Planeteers gather at Gi's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting the band back together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vashti (tvashti)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvashti/gifts).



> Thanks to Luna and labellamenteuse for their advice and beta efforts!

Gi walked up to him as he stepped out of the car.

“Kwame!”

She looked older - they all did - but her face still had the same cheery grin as she greeted him.

“Gi, my friend.”

They hugged.

He had been surprised to receive her Skype call a couple of weeks ago inviting him and the other former Planeteers out to her house to catch up, but pleasantly so. His work in his hometown and other parts of Africa had kept him busy, and he hadn’t caught up with them in quite some time.

"You have done well for yourself." He gestured at their surroundings.

It was a large house by the water (of course). Mostly built with a light wood, and airy, with lots of open space.

“Yes, my company recycles many things that pollute the oceans and manufactures useful things from them. I use the money to help fund ocean research and ways to help the ocean ecosystem replenish itself.

“I am glad to hear it. Am I the first to arrive?

“Linka is already here. She arrived yesterday. Come in. I will show you your room and we can catch up properly.”

He followed her into the house through a large entranceway and back onto a large deck that faced out into a secluded bay. There were dolphins playing in the water not far away.

They walked along the deck to a wooden door, which Gi pushed back. The room was small, but comfortable. Kwame dropped his bag onto the bed. She led him back out along the deck.

“I am not surprised to see them there.” He gestured at the dolphins.

Gi laughed. “No. We can go swimming with them tomorrow if you like.”

“I would like that.”

“Great. I will show you around the house and then we should go and find Linka.”

\--

Linka was sitting in a chair on the balcony looking out and watching as the wind caught the fronds of the palms in the distance.

She and Gi had kept in touch sporadically since they had passed on their rings, but this was the first time she had rushed so readily to take up an invitation. It had been a tough couple of years and she was happy to take advantage of the lull.

People walked in behind her. She turned around as they entered and her face split with a broad grin when she saw the tall man before her.

“Kwame!” She stood up and gingerly made her way around the chair toward him.

“Linka! It has been a long time.”

“It has. I am so sorry it was not sooner.”

They embraced. He gestured at her leg. “Are you okay?”

She tried to wave off his concern but found herself saying, “No. I fell while climbing six months ago and it hasn’t really been the same. The price of getting old unfortunately.”

“Oh, we are not so old.”

“Speak for yourself.”

Gi brought them cold drinks and they all sat outside, reminiscing about the old times and the weird times. Things that had seemed to real at the time now seemed so surreal - had they really met Hitler?

\--

Ma-Ti arrived the next day, fresh from his last speaking engagement at a United Nations environmental conference.

He had a confidence that impressed Kwame, and spoke passionately about a number of issues: mostly climate change and deforestation, but also the effect the World Cup coming to Brazil was having on the Amazonian environment.

“Has anyone heard from Wheeler?” he said, surprising everyone with the change of topic.

“I wanted everyone here - but he never answered my invitation,” Gi said sadly.

“Does anyone know what he’s doing?” Kwame asked.

“We ran into each other a few months ago at a conference in New York. He was leading a group that was peacefully protesting the conference. We talked briefly but I don’t feel he agreed with my decision to talk to the people in the conference rather than make a point outside. He was very much the same old Wheeler.”

“Did he mention his daughter?” Linka asked from her perch on the chair beside Gi.

“Daughter?” Kwame was as surprised as Ma-Ti sounded.

“Da. He emailed me a few times and he was telling me about her. Rachel, I think. Her mother had passed away suddenly and he was raising her himself. I offered what advice I could but the emails stopped and I couldn’t get away … “ there was a little sadness in her voice.

“No, he never said anything - but he did mention a Rachel in passing now I think of it. Wow. Wheeler a father.”

\--

“Dad!” Someone was shaking him awake. “Dad!” The voice was more insistent now.

Wheeler slowly opened his eyes. “What?”

“You told me to wake you at 7:30 and it’s nearly 7:45.” Rachel was tapping her foot in a way that reminded Wheeler painfully of her mother - although Rachel wasn’t to know that.

“Yeah, I did. Thanks, sweetheart.” He got out bed quickly, his feet hitting the cold floor of their apartment.

He grabbed his phone from the night-stand and looked at it. His calendar flashing up with a now overdue reminder that he’d never dismissed.

`Getting the band back together - Gi’s place - 1 day overdue`

He closed it quickly. He should have gotten back to Gi but he didn’t know what he could stay. He had been tempted to drop everything and take Rachel across the world to meet the people he talked about often, he really had, but the closer the time had come the more excuses had come to mind and now he was here - late.

He grabbed a t-shirt from his closet and pulled on a pair of jeans.

Rachel had come back to stand in the doorway to his room. “Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay? You look sad.”

“I’m okay, honey.” He put her hand on top of her head. “C’mon, let’s get some breakfast.”

He led her over to the breakfast bar and walked over and opened the fridge. Eggs? Yeah, maybe eggs.

Rachel had pushed herself up onto one of the chairs.

Wheeler cooked them both eggs, setting them down in front of Rachel, watching as she wolfed hers down while he picked at his own.

There was a photo of him and the rest of the gang sitting on a bookcase in his line of sight. They’d been crazy, unbelievable times, but good times. Giving up the rings and not running around the world had been a tough decision, but a necessary one. It had been time for Gaia to recruit the next round of people. The next generation. He looked down as his now bare ring finger. He’d worn a replacement ring for a while - about the same weight - but he’d given up the charade a while ago now.

He looked at his phone in front of him. Unlocked the screen and the reminder was still sitting there.

Since when had he thought so much? The Wheeler of old would have just made a decision like that.

He snatched it up and started dialing.

“Hi, uh, Gi? It’s Wheeler. I’m so sorry I didn’t get back to you but uh, does the offer to catch up with everyone still stand?”

“Wheeler!” She sounded surprised but pleased. “Of course! I can fly you out as here as soon as you can. I’ll just need to confirm with my people in New York what time they can schedule a flight out …”

“You’re amazing.”

“It will be so good to see you.”

“I uh, won’t be coming alone …”

They ironed out the rest of the details and he hung up the phone.

“C’mon, honey. “ he said, laying his hand on the top of Rachel’s head. “We’re going on a little trip.”

Better late than never, he guessed.

\--

They were all waiting at the entranceway to see the car pull up, and Wheeler and a young girl get out. The young girl had his fiery red hair, and it was pulled up in a ponytail behind her.

“How’s it going, gang?”

“Wheeler!” Gi ran up to him and gave him a hug. “I’m so glad you made it.”

“Uh, me too.”

He gestured to the girl who had a death-grip on his hand. “This is Rachel.”

Gi bent down to be on Rachel’s level. “Hi Rachel. I’m Gi. An old friend of your father’s.”

She looked out from behind his legs. “Hi.”

“Would you like to come inside? We can get you a drink and you can meet the dolphins.”

“Dolphins! There’s dolphins here?!”

“Yes, they are friends of mine. Come on.”

She rushed out from behind Wheeler’s legs and followed Gi into the house.

Gi saw Wheeler embrace Linka, and do a complicated hi-five with Ma-Ti out of the corner of her eye. Everyone together again.

\--

Later that night, after Rachel had been tired out and settled into bed, they had a drink (beer for Linka, wine for Gi, fruit juice for Wheeler, and tea for Ma-Ti and Kwame).

They reminisced, talked about Gaia and Hope Island; their hometowns and the different environment challenges. How Verminous Scum always made them shudder, and how MAL sometimes made them laugh. They also talked about Hoggish Greedly Jr’s latest scheme and what the new Planeteers had done to overcome him.

“They’ve learned a few new tricks - it didn’t occur to me to do that with the Earth ring.” Kwame said.

Wheeler moved in his chair. “I’m just gonna ask, since we’re all together and I’m curious. Does anyone else really miss the ring?”

He could see Gi’s eyebrow raise from across the room.

“Now don’t get me wrong, I understand why we gave them up, and I agree it was time, but there are so many times that I really miss the feeling of the ring on my finger. The weight of it.”

It was quiet for a second.

“No, I miss it too.” Linka chimed in. “For brief moments, I could fly. Who wouldn’t miss that? I agree it was time, but I don’t ever feel quite the same now.”

“I miss it at times, but it’s fleeting. I’ve been able to do so much even without it,” Gi said.

Kwame nodded. “Me too. It would have been useful sometimes, but I do not miss it. Not really.”

They all looked over at Ma-Ti, who had been quiet throughout.

“I … I don’t.” He paused. “I still enjoy helping people, but I find it easier to just do it, rather than feeling everything so strongly and linking with other people. I miss the animals sometimes but not the people as much. It was hard at times, with the Heart ring. This is easier.” His voice was a little hesitant, but also definite. Like he’d spent time thinking about this.

“That is understandable, Ma-Ti. I can’t imagine the effect of that ring,” Kwame said reassuringly.

“Guys, look outside.”

They had left the balcony door open to let in the warm night air, and standing on the balcony was a shadowy figure - Gaia.  
They all got up from their seats to go and see her.

“Planeteers.” She bowed her head. “I am so glad to see you keeping in touch. Although I have been in touch with some of you individually at times, I thought I’d visit while you were all together.”

“It is lovely to see you, Gaia.”

“And you too, Gi. You’ve all continued to do such great things since you gave up the rings - even though you may not think so, and the new Planeteers have provided a environmental voice to a new generation. Only the five of you know what is was like to wield those rings during those years.”

She looked distant for a second, and her image faded a little, and then came back into sharp focus. “I’m sorry, Planeteers, something is happening - I must go.” “You should see each other more often …” her voice faded as she disappeared from their sight.

“I think we can do that,” Kwame said with a smile, as they walked back into the room.


End file.
